Nashville Scene 5-16-24

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JULY 2 - 28

NASHVILLE, TN

SUMMER at Adventure Science Center

Wonders of the Universe

OPENS SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Explore this newly renovated exhibit gallery, complete with NASA’s Curiosity Rover.

ALL AGES; GENERAL ADMISSION

Camp Way Late

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 | 7:00 - 10:00 PM

Join us for an after-hours event designed to immerse you in the nostalgia of summer camp – but, this time, with curated cocktails.

21+ EVENT; TICKETED EVENT

Red, White, & Boom

THURSDAY, JULY 4 | 6:30 - 10:00 PM

Grab your friends and family and join Adventure Science Center to celebrate the 4th of July!

ALL AGES; TICKETED EVENT

LEARN MORE

NEWS

Street View: Designing a Different Downtown

New guidelines encourage developers to see downtown as more than just ‘Broadway or nothing’ BY LENA

MAZEL

Local Special Olympics Athletes Find Community, Competition

Annual Tennessee Summer Games will take place May 17 and 18 in Nashville BY LOGAN BUTTS

Nashville Plans to Deploy New State Laws to Add Affordable Housing Metro working group convening this month to review new legislation BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT, NASHVILLE BANNER

Pith in the Wind

This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog

COVER STORY Summer Guide 2024

See our extensive calendar of summertime events — and meet some of the interesting Nashvillians keeping this summer cool BY SCENE STAFF

CRITICS’ PICKS

Sgt. Splendor, Tour de Nash, Shaboozey, The Suitcase, Studio Ghibli Fest and more

COMEDY

Burr, of the Moment

Speaking to comedian Bill Burr about the South, ‘cancel culture’ and his fans BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

THEATER

All the President’s Women

Nashville Rep ends its 39th season with fabulous, high-flying POTUS BY AMY STUMPFL

MUSIC

Taking Root

Lawrence Rothman revisits their earliest inspirations on The Plow That Broke the Plains BY RACHEL CHOLST

Time Management

The Decemberists return in fine form with their first post-lockdown album BY ADAM DAVIDSON

The

Spin

The Scene’s live-review column checks out Bad Bunny at Bridgestone Arena BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ

FILM

A Losing Game

Biopic Back to Black falls short of Amy Winehouse’s legacy BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

This Isn’t How Life Is Supposed to Feel Escapism, reality and queerness blend in I Saw the TV Glow BY KEN ARNOLD

BAYOU COLD BREW ROCKS

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD

MARKETPLACE

ON THE COVER:

The Kentucky Gentlemen; photo by Eric England

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DESIGNING A DIFFERENT DOWNTOWN

New guidelines encourage developers to see downtown as more than just ‘Broadway or nothing’

BY LENA MAZEL

Street View is a monthly column taking a close look at development-related issues affecting different neighborhoods throughout the city.

DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE CAN often feel like a tourist playground full of expensive parking, loud nightlife and party buses. But the new Downtown Code guidelines envision a different downtown: one that’s walkable, with connected streets, greenery, accessible public spaces and flood protections, and one that encourages growth in line with existing architectural character.

The new draft of the Metro Nashville Planning Department’s Downtown Code guidelines serves as a roadmap for developers to propose projects that align with the future that downtown city leaders want to see. The guidelines are split into four major areas: sustainability and biodiversity; accessible and inclusive spaces; multimodal transportation; and cohesive design.

With sizable mixed-use developments popping up regularly across the city alongside plenty of change at downtown’s doorstep on the East Bank, the design guidelines could have a big impact on the future of the city center.

Richel Albright, communications director for the Planning Department, says the city wanted a way to give developers consistent feedback about its priorities and encourage developers and city officials to think about what downtown could feel like. “We want to make sure we encourage great design that would entice people to want to live in the downtown area, and not just see it as a place to play,” Albright says.

While the guidelines are just that — they can’t enforce any standard in the way a zoning code or other regulatory tools can do — Albright says developers have generally been on board with the planning department’s feedback and want to build good projects. Social pressure also plays a role: Developers don’t want to create projects the city doesn’t like.

The “Future-Focused Ecological Design” section of the draft guidelines makes recommendations to tackle issues like heat islands and flooding. It also prioritizes creating more green spaces downtown, including “pocket parks” and integrated native greenery within developments. The ecological guidelines also highlight stormwater management solutions like drainage layers on roofs and landscape irrigation. They suggest planting trees to reduce heat islands and prioritizing mature trees when possible. To tackle Nashville’s building waste problem, the guidelines recommend sustainable design choices like using renewable or recycled materials when possible. They also mention prioritizing parking spaces for electric vehicles and people who carpool, and designing roofs and walls to

generate renewable energy.

Councilmember Jacob Kupin represents District 19, which encompasses Nashville’s downtown core. He says he’s excited about the placemaking potential in the design guidelines, which can shape how people experience downtown. There’s a particular emphasis on placemaking in the “Human-Oriented Design” and “High-Caliber Architectural Design” sections.

“We’re really starting to look for pretty exciting, unique buildings that add to the skyline and take into consideration the other buildings that are going up around them,” Kupin says.

Another part of placemaking is transit, with recommendations that developments should connect to public transportation and make space for multimodality. The Downtown Code guidelines include a specific focus on bicyclefriendly infrastructure like safe parking, and additional suggestions for streetscapes that are easy for pedestrians. Kupin tells the Scene the next draft of the guidelines will have even more bike infrastructure.

The “Human-Oriented Design” section touches on accessibility, with recommendations for integrating accessible wayfinding information, adhering to Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and creating open and easily accessed public spaces.

But despite accessibility efforts, there are aspects of downtown life that design

recommendations can’t control. While the design guidelines tell developers to “engage the community to identify and address their needs … within a project proposal that serves the greater community” (page 24), downtown Nashville has work to do if it wants to continue to support a diverse arts scene. As Tennessean columnist Andrea Williams recently wrote, the 2020 Christmas Day bombing destroyed BB Kings, a significant spot for Black artists to perform in Nashville. “For all the talk about country music being mostly, artificially, white, the same can be said about the city’s live music scene,” Williams writes. “[Losing BB Kings] was devastating for Black musicians … BB’s was one of the only regular gigs *in town* for them.”

And while the development guidelines prioritize multimodality and welcoming spaces, they don’t address housing density or affordability, despite housing shortages and rising costs plaguing the city overall. Could downtown Nashville be a space for affordable units? What would incentivizing these units look like?

Ultimately, the changes downtown Nashville needs won’t all be solved by new design guidelines. It’s also up to those who live, work and visit downtown. Beyond advocating for designs that reflect Nashville’s diverse needs, people will also have to adapt to the changes a new downtown will bring, with its new modes of transportation and public green spaces.

WITH SIZABLE MIXEDUSE DEVELOPMENTS POPPING UP REGULARLY ACROSS THE CITY ALONGSIDE PLENTY OF CHANGE AT DOWNTOWN’S DOORSTEP ON THE EAST BANK, THE DESIGN GUIDELINES COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF THE CITY CENTER.

“It may take a mindset shift,” says Albright, “for some people to think ‘Hey, I can sit on that grass during my lunch hour and eat my lunch away from my desk and read a book for 30 minutes.’ It’s about making spaces like that.”

“I think there’s a really big push right now to have downtown not just be Broadway or nothing,” Kupin says. “You’re seeing it really start to feel like neighborhoods.”

The Planning Department finished gathering public comments on the draft guidelines on May 8, and will release updated guidelines in the following weeks. The Design Review Committee plans to review and vote on the guidelines in early June. ▼

CHURCH STREET PARK DOWNTOWN

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

NEWS: SPORTS

LOCAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES FIND COMMUNITY, COMPETITION

Annual Tennessee Summer Games will take place May 17 and 18 in Nashville BY

MORE THAN 1,000 athletes will compete May 17 and 18 in the Tennessee Summer Games, the biggest Special Olympics competition in the state. The two-day event is set to feature contests across six categories: athletics (aka track and field), bocce, powerlifting, aquatics, volleyball and the newest addition, pickleball, which recently replaced tennis.

The Special Olympics USA Games take place every four years, and the state-level games are the highest-profile events many athletes will compete in. Special Olympics Tennessee (SOTN) puts on competitions throughout the year — including a golf tournament and the Fall Games, which feature flag football, bowling and cornhole — but the Summer Games are the crown jewel of the organization’s schedule.

Lipscomb University will play host to most of the festivities, while Centennial Sportsplex will host the slate of aquatic events. The Young Athletes Games, for competitors ages 3 through 12, will take place at Lipscomb Academy.

“They’ve been amazing with us,” SOTN Nashville-area director Kassie King says of Lipscomb. “We pretty much take over their whole entire campus.”

With the success of the events at Lipscomb and regional competitions at schools like Ensworth, plus the help of organizations like the nonprofit Nashville Dolphins, Nashville has shown it has both the infrastructure and interest for national-level events. And that’s why SOTN plans to submit a bid to host the 2030 Games here.

With the Summer Games being the biggest event on the yearly schedule, spots are limited. Athletes are allowed to compete in only one sport in the games; competitors at this level practice more specialization than the multisport approach many have when they’re younger. “It’s very competitive,” King says.

But it’s not only about the competition. Many

NASHVILLE PLANS TO DEPLOY NEW STATE LAWS TO ADD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Metro working group convening this month to review new legislation

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT, NASHVILLE BANNER

This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Visit nashvillebanner.com for more information.

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of these athletes have been competing together for years.

“It is a community,” says Joyce Segelhorst, the recreational leader for the Metro Parks disABILITIES Program. “For a lot of our folks, it is a big test of independence. It’s everything that you’ve trained for, all coming together. You’re with your friends, your family is rooting for you, you’ve trained hard. It’s a wonderful experience. So it really motivates people to be picked to go to the Special Olympics Games.”

For sisters Tori and Laney Hammett, sports have been a nearly lifelong experience. Tori, who is 34 and has been participating since she was 8, will compete in the freestyle swimming competition and as the anchor leg in the team relay race at the Summer Games. Twenty-yearold Laney will compete alongside her cousin Jonathan in the unified bocce event.

The Hammetts not only practice and compete in their individual sports, but are also on

Later this month, Metro director of legislative affairs Darren Jernigan plans to bring together representatives from Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office and the departments of planning, codes, water, transportation and other city leaders for a roundtable discussion as Metro seeks to figure out how to take advantage of nearly a dozen bills recently passed by the Tennessee General Assembly that could help boost the city’s affordable housing stock.

“We’re happy and encouraged with the bills that came out of the General Assembly,” says Jernigan, who had a front-row seat as both an outgoing state representative and O’Connell’s agent on Capitol Hill.

“We’re getting everybody in the room for the first time to see which ones are practical, which ones we can do, and go full force for it, and hopefully by the summer we’ll have some legislation out there.”

Nashville’s Industrial Development Board authorized up to $180 million in bonds for housing a few blocks from Tennessee State University. New units, which will also be open to students besides those at TSU, could help alleviate pressure on the flagship public university, which has struggled with a dorm crunch. State legislators recently targeted TSU’s board of directors for the school’s financial troubles, vacating and replacing the entire body in March. Recent reports suggest it’s actually the legislature that should answer for decades of underfunding at the historically Black university. The housing project — called the Cobblestone Village Residence — will be developed by Cobblestone Development and Consulting, a firm headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas. Construction is projected to begin in June and finish by the fall semester of 2026.

Olympics Tennessee

a basketball team and a cheerleading squad in leagues run by Metro Parks.

“They’re phenomenal over there at what they do,” King says of the disABILITIES program. “And once we add new sports at SOTN, they get athletes right on it so that they know that they’re prepared and they can be competitive in it.”

The communities that form around these leagues are just as important to the athletes as the competition itself, and the Summer Games are no different. After all the sweat and clashing over medals, the weekend event will culminate in a dance where all the competitors come together — dressed in their best, of course — to celebrate the conclusion of the games.

When asked if they’ll be nervous to compete on such a big stage, alongside hundreds of the state’s best competitors, the Hammett sisters have a simple, unified answer.

“No.” ▼

Of the bills, two are attracting particular attention.

SB2496/HB2623

This legislation allows local governments “to create a voluntary attainable housing incentive program.” The local government is tasked with defining “attainable housing” and then detailing what sort of incentives can be offered to developers who include that type of housing in a project — think density bonuses, setback or parking exemptions or other incentives that could help a developer maintain profit margins while including “attainable housing.”

Some see this as a backtrack from the state legislature’s 2018 preemption of a Metro policy requiring builders to include affordable units.

The bill had both Republican and Democratic sponsors.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell addressed the city on Tuesday at The Fairgrounds Nashville at his first State of Metro address. The annual ceremony gives the mayor a captive audience to pitch recent highlights and preview big public initiatives. This year, O’Connell is pushing a transit overhaul that would expand bus access across the city, introduce dedicated bus lanes on major roads, update traffic signals and expand the city’s sidewalk network. A 0.5 percent sales tax bump in Davidson County would underwrite the $3 billion price tag, if approved by voters in November.

The Metro Council tweaked the rules on its public comment period last week to accommodate individuals who want to speak on topics not directly related to the meeting agenda. The change follows regular testimony from pro-Palestine advocates who have repeatedly spoken at council meetings against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, often reaching for ways to tie their speech to agenda items to remain compliant with council rules. Councilmembers also approved a three-year, $24 million contract with Rite of Passage, the Nevada-based corporation hired to run the city’s juvenile jail, and deferred approval of a new contract with Bode Technology the firm that tests biological samples for MNPD.

Writer and activist Bill McKibben showed up at a May 9 public hearing held by the Tennessee Valley Authority’s board of directors at Lipscomb University. McKibben, alongside other environmental advocates, slammed TVA for its continued reliance on natural gas rather than renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

Special

Summer Games May 17-18 at Lipscomb University and Centennial Sportsplex

TORI HAMMETT

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created Pathway Affordable Housing Corp., an arm of community development financial institution Pathway Lending, where he says he hopes to take advantage of the new model as long as Metro chooses to participate.

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“We have a lot of housing problems,” says Rep. Dale Carr, a Republican who represents the tourist destination of Sevierville and who was the lead House sponsor. “It’s hard for [seasonal workers] to pay a big, high rent when they come and try to rent something to work in the county. We’re short on housing also, so we’re trying to build as many affordable houses and apartments that we possibly can.”

Think Tennessee, a nonpartisan think tank, helped draft and advocate for the legislation. Adriane Harris, the group’s senior adviser on housing policy, worked for Metro when the preemption policy initially passed.

“We see this as a great opportunity for cities to really think about what’s a part of their current toolbox and how they can use this tool now that they have it, given that they didn’t have it in the last several years,” Harris tells the Banner. “Rural communities and suburban communities throughout the state are facing an affordable housing crisis, so it’s no longer just the urban areas that are having to really figure this out.”

Metro Councilmember At-Large Burkley Allen, who sponsored the preempted Nashville ordinance, says she plans to study the bills and work on new legislation based on the freshly granted powers.

“They are now hearing from the smaller towns and rural counties that it’s an issue there as well,” Allen says of state lawmakers. “What was originally perceived as something that only affected the big four cities is now an issue all the way across the state.”

SB1137/HB1229

This bill came to lawmakers via Matt Wiltshire, the former Metro official who finished third in last year’s mayor’s race.

He tells the Banner that he was figuring out what to do after the campaign when he learned about a program in Charlotte, N.C., where social impact investors work to preserve existing affordable housing with the help of the local government.

The legislation effectively designates affordable housing as a “public purpose” so that a local government like Metro could use its Industrial Development Board to help private developers finance housing projects.

This bill was also bipartisan, as Carr signed on as a co-sponsor, with Nashville Democrats Rep. Caleb Hemmer and Sen. Charlane Oliver leading the way.

“There was bipartisan interest, which is encouraging in such a divided state government,” Wiltshire says. “This seemed to be an area where there were opportunities for folks to come together. This is an issue that has spread across the state.”

Wiltshire was recently named president of the newly

“Rep. Hemmer and I, we got together on that Nashville bill because it’s going to help Nashville on what they’re wanting to do with their housing,” Carr adds. “He’s a good guy, but they needed some more help on that to make sure that we can get it through the legislature.”

OTHER BILLS

Jernigan plans to discuss several other new pieces of legislation with city leaders:

SB1694/HB1814: Requires landlords to provide some transparency to tenants. (Other bills passed this year weaken tenants’ rights.)

SB2315/HB2368: The Residential Infrastructure Development Act authorizes local governments to establish infrastructure development districts to help fund infrastructure work.

SB1000/HB1046: The Tennessee Rural and Workforce Housing Act does not fund a state lowincome tax credit program but creates a framework to do so in the future.

SB2635/HB2787: Prohibits the state fire marshal from mandating sprinkler systems for certain multifamily dwellings and requires the fire marshal to allow local governments to amend building codes for three- and four-unit dwellings.

HB2984/SB2968: The East Bank Development Authority bill.

SB1735/HB1807: Requires the state fire marshal or other state entities to conduct requested inspections within 10 business days.

SB2117/HB2261: Changes the regulatory framework for senior housing developments.

SB2639/HB2553: Clarifies new rules about foreign ownership of Tennessee properties.

SB2550/HB2624: Changes the law relating to local governments selling properties for delinquent taxes.

Lawmakers say they aren’t done addressing affordable housing yet (though neither Jernigan nor Carr is running for reelection).

Hemmer worked on unsuccessful efforts to reallocate both real estate transfer taxes and short-term rental taxes. He also highlighted a housing tax credit bill backed by House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison that did not pass this year.

“There are a lot of little things we can start to do,” Hemmer said. “My main hope is we start viewing this as a state issue that we need to tackle.” ▼

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TROLLS: Save the Humans

Six gigantic sculptural trolls by prominent Denmark-based recycle artist Thomas Dambo take up residence at Cheekwood to share messages of stewardship and sustainability. Reserve tickets at cheekwood.org.

Image credit: Courtesy Atlanta Botanical Garden

WITNESS HISTORY

This Bigsby guitar belonged to backwoods renaissance man Merle Travis, who played his way from western Kentucky coal country to the top of the charts, influencing several generations of performers along the way.

From the exhibit Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present

RESERVE TODAY

artifact photo: Bob Delevante

While the summer doesn’t technically arrive until June, the days are getting longer, hotter and buggier. (And the Brood XIX cicadas certainly aren’t helping on the bug front.) Spiritually speaking, the summer has already arrived.

In this week’s Summer Guide, we’ll introduce you to a handful of the Nashville folks who are keeping the city cool, from venue and gallery owners to the Lady Kats and The Kentucky Gentlemen. Plus, see our extensive summer events calendar, compiled in part by outgoing editorial intern Sol Ayala. (We’ll miss you Sol!)

Read on, and stay cool.

The Kentucky Gentlemen, Country Duo

Twin brothers Derek and Brandon Campbell grew up in Versailles, Ky., where their deep love of singing country music together led them to form The Kentucky Gentlemen.

The 10-year veterans of Nashville music are thrilled to play May 31 at Musicians Corner, during the beloved free concert series’s 15th spring run in Centennial Park.

In March, the duo debuted “Heartache in the Hills” — a hip-dipping single about cutting loose to get through a breakup that practically screams “summer jam” — via On the Radar. The influential platform is best-known for hip-hop, but The Kentucky Gentlemen were its first of many planned country guests. This milestone came days before Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter, amplifying the ongoing discussion about the wealth of Black musicians who have always been part of country but who were rendered practically

invisible by ingrained racism in the industry. The Campbells are proud to be part of this conversation, and especially to see Black people becoming more comfortable with identifying themselves as country artists and fans. And while they’ve had tons of great singles, they’ve set their sights on a bigger project.

“It’s definitely time [for fans] to get a taste of who we are now,” Brandon Campbell says, “because we have been here 10 years, and we’re ready to tell our 10-year story and how we became who we are today.”

“The past year or two, folks have really been leaning in, and seem to be loving who we are and us just being completely ourselves,” Derek adds. “That’s the driving factor for what we’re working on right now.” STEPHEN TRAGESER

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

Nicholas Schurman, Owner of Soft Junk

When I try to connect with Nicholas Schurman on a weekday afternoon, he misses my call because he’s busy “mowing crop circles” in his lawn. “I’ve long found that if I make a chore like mowing the grass fun by doing something really stupid with it, I look forward to it,” he tells me the next day.

Schurman runs East Side event space Soft Junk. Thanks to colorful psychedelic artwork by local artist Brett Douglas Hunter on its interior and an outsized sign reading “HOWDYWOOD” near its exterior, Soft Junk feels like a Pee-wee’s Playhouse for adult rock ’n’ rollers. For the past several years, the space — tucked away at the back of 919 Studios on Gallatin Avenue — has served as a friendly locale for rock shows, comedy nights, flea markets, swap meets and, more recently, “Howdywood red carpet film screenings,” like a recent Dancing Outlaw/American Movie double feature. He’s got a recording studio upstairs and is set up to track analog audio and video for every show, with help from his sound and tech guys Joe and Jack Tellmann — a pair of brothers who make Schurman “feel like I’m making Wayne’s World and they’re the camera dudes.”

“I love all the weird shit,” Schurman says. “When people come up with a cool, weird idea — that’s usually what my goal is, to try that out.”

Some of Schurman’s far-out ideas include, for instance, filling the space with available work by local artist Kevin Guthrie (“and like, you could take like a pamphlet from the wall and everything in there could be for sale”), or using cassette duplicators to send attendees home with analog recordings from that night’s show. Or buying enough red carpet to stretch from his front door all the way to Gallatin Avenue. For now, upcoming summer shows at Soft Junk will include a May 29 album release from standout local folk artist Annie Williams and a June 27 appearance from New Orleans legends Quintron and Miss Pussycat.

Past that, says Schurman, stay tuned to his Instagram account (@soft__junk). D. PATRICK RODGERS

Dive Hard Comedy at The Dive Motel: free weekly stand-up comedy, every Thursday

Bill Burr Live at Bridgestone Arena

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Sunny War, Anthony da Costa, Danielle Durack and more

Special Olympics Tennessee Summer Games at Lipscomb University and Centennial Sportsplex (also May 18)

Sunday Swing in the Courtyard at Williamson County Performing Arts Center feat. 5 Points Swing Band, complimentary dance lessons, food trucks and more

23 30 20 27 19 26

Todd Rundgren at the Ryman

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Courtney Marie Andrews, Caitlin Rose, Boo Ray and more

Rooftop Yoga Buzz at Acme Feed & Seed: select Sundays

The Time Jumpers at 3rd and Lindsley, every Monday

Nashville Sounds vs. Charlotte Knights at First Horizon Park (through May 26)

The Happy Froggers Knitting and Crochet Social Club at Nashville Public Library Edmondson Pike Branch: every Tuesday

Regi Wooten and Friends at Rudy’s Jazz Room

Summer Teas at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens’ Café 29, every Tuesday and Thursday through June 27

24 31 21 28

12 South Farmers Market in Sevier Park, every Tuesday, May through October

Annie Williams album release at Soft Junk

Miercoles de Lotería at Plaza Mariachi, traditional Mexican game night, every Wednesday

Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous opens at the Frist Art Museum: through Aug. 25

Choreographer Oona Doherty’s Navy Blue at OZ Arts (also May 31 and June 1)

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. corook, Morgxn, Jarren Blair and more

more

Lainey Wilson at Ascend Amphitheater (also June 1)

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Peter One, Them Vibes, The Kentucky Gentlemen and more

Jim Gaffigan at the Ryman (also June 1)

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Rayland Baxter, Max McNown, Chrome Pony and

BrickUniverse Lego Fan Event at the Farm Bureau Exposition Center in Lebanon (also May 26)

Walk Bike Nashville’s 20th Annual Tour de Nash: all routes start on 51st Avenue North in the Nations

To Till a Seed: Keith Jackson and Desmond Lewis opening reception at Red Arrow; exhibit through

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

Arena football is back in Nashville with the third iteration of the Nashville Kats, our very own Arena Football League team. Personally, I’ll be attending games at Municipal Auditorium to see the Lady Kats dance team.

Coaches Sissy Brown and Laverne Brown are not related, but since they’ve worked together for so many years, they say they’re like sisters. Laverne is returning to home turf as a former dancer for both a previous iteration of the Kats as well as the Tennessee Titans, and she has experience leading dance squads at Tennessee State University. Sissy, whom audiences may know from her show on 92.1 WQQK-FM, has 12 seasons of experience in the NFL and AFL.

“We’ve worked together for so long that we know what product that we want to put out,” Sissy says. “When we put it out, it’s damn near perfection.”

The First Ladies of Music City (yes, they got permission from the mayor’s office to call themselves this) alternate between different styles as they dance after each play. There’s simply no excuse for a “sportsball” attitude when there are dynamic dancers like the Lady Kats to watch. The Kats are currently in the first half of their season, with remaining home games set for May 18, June 2, June 16 and June 29.

“These ladies work really hard at their craft and what they’re doing to put on a great performance and great show for the Nashville community,” Laverne says. HANNAH HERNER

Lady Kats Dance Team, the New First Ladies of Music City June

Nashville Scene presents Movies in the Park at Elmington Park: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Pixies and Modest Mouse w/Cat Power at Ascend Amphitheater

Nashville Kats vs. Albany Firebirds at Municipal Auditorium

YEAH! Rocks Summer Camp at Wright Middle School (through June 7)

6 13 3 10 2 9 7 14 4 11 1 8 15 5 12

Stars for Second Harvest at the Ryman feat. Ernest and friends

Nashville Sounds vs. Louisville Bats at First Horizon Park (through June 9)

Sunday Mornin’ Country at the Opry House, hosted by Brenda Lee

Visit the National Museum of African American Music

Broadway at TPAC presents Hairspray at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall (through June 16)

Watercolor Wednesdays with the Nashville Public Library at Church Street Park, every Wednesday

CMA Fest at multiple venues, feat. Ashley McBryde, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Thomas Rhett and many more (through June 9)

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Jeremy Lister, Gustavo Moradel, the Nashville Symphony and more

An Evening With James Taylor at Bridgestone Arena

Bonnaroo at Manchester’s Great Stage Park feat. Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again.., Pretty Lights and many more (through June 16)

Nashville Scene presents Movies in the Park at Elmington Park: 13 Going on 30

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Seratones, Bathe Alone, Jess Nolan and more

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Cedric Burnside, AJ and the Jiggawatts, Charlie Whitten and more

Porter Flea Preview Market at The Fairgrounds Nashville NightLight 615’s 21-and-up outdoor movie series at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Happy Gilmore

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. The Watson Twins, Jo Schornikow, Airpark and more

Solid Pink Disco at Cannery Hall feat. DJ Trixie Mattel and DJ Mateo Segade

YEAH! Rocks Summer Camp Showcase at The East Room

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Phosphorescent, Arts Fishing Club, She Returns From War and more

Porter Flea Main Market at The Fairgrounds Nashville Peach Jam Festival at the Nashville Farmers’ Market

Musicians Corner in Centennial Park feat. Strand of Oaks, Vlad Holiday, The Sewing Club and more

Nashville Comicon at The Fairgrounds Nashville (also June 2)

Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution at Geodis Park

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

Nashville Kats vs. Oregon Blackbears at Municipal Auditorium

Alanis Morissette w/Joan Jett and the Blackhearts & Morgan Wade at Bridgestone Arena

New Material Monday feat. a surprise lineup at Zanies

See TROLLS: Save the Humans at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (through Sept. 1)

Nashville Sounds vs. Durham Bulls at First Horizon Park (through June 23)

Brian Regan at the Ryman

Rent a stand-up paddle board or kayak on Percy Priest Lake via Nashville Paddle Company

East Nashville Farmers Market, every Tuesday through December

20

Nashville Scene presents Movies in the Park at Elmington Park: Barbie

Small World Yoga’s Yoga in the Courtyard at the Frist Art Museum

Music in the Vines: The Josh Karas Trio & Alex Genova and Friends at Arrington Vineyards

Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair at OneC1ty (also June 29)

19 26

String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (June 24-29)

Red Clay Strays at The Caverns in Pelham (also June 22-23)

Full Moon Pickin’ Party bluegrass music series at Percy Warner Park

17 24 16 23 30 21

Nashville Scene presents Movies in the Park at Elmington Park: Shrek

NightLight 615’s 21-and-up outdoor movie series at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Miss Congeniality

Tyler the Bike Guy, Bicycle Courier

SC vs. New York City FC at Geodis Park

Nashville Pride Festival and Parade at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park feat. Tinashe, Billy Porter, Icona Pop, Slayyyter and many more (also June 23)

18 25 22

Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF at Geodis Park

Nashville Kats vs. Southwest Kansas Storm at Municipal Auditorium

INTERVENTIONS: Ann Carrington at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (June 29Oct. 27)

If you’ve ever gotten your lunch dropped off by a guy wearing an enormous insulated backpack and a helmet, that might have been Tyler Logel. He’s one of the Nashville bicycle couriers who ride hundreds of miles a week making deliveries on apps like DoorDash. “It’s not easy to get in the rhythm of putting in that many miles every day carrying a loaded pack,” Logel says. “But I saw something there, and I knew I was having fun with it, so I just kind of kept running.” Logel likes it because he can stay fit, explore his city and reduce his carbon footprint. Diners like bike couriers because they’re fast, as they don’t have to sit in traffic or find parking spaces. Cyclists weigh factors drivers don’t have to consider: Logel avoids hilly routes when possible, and he turns down orders that won’t travel well in his bag. (Think fountain drinks or delicate pastries.) Drivers themselves pose a danger — Logel got “tapped” by a motorist a few days before speaking with the Scene. But he’s encouraged by efforts to make the city safer for bike riders. “That’s what keeps me in Nashville,” he says. “I think Nashville can be a mecca for cyclists.” COLE VILLENA

Nashville

Hiatus Kaiyote at Brooklyn Bowl

Visit the Tennessee State Museum

Visit Nashville Shores water park in Hermitage

Natalie Merchant feat. the Nashville Symphony as the Schermerhorn

Bingo! Bingo! with the Lady in Red at Jackalope Brewing Company’s The Ranch, first Wednesday of every month

Let Freedom Sing! Music City Fourth of July in downtown Nashville feat. Chris Young, Yola and much more

Music City Hot Chicken Festival in East Park

Nashville Sounds vs. Memphis Redbirds at First Horizon Park (through July 6)

Sebastian Maniscalco at Bridgestone Arena

Garth and Dolly: A Tribute to Two Country Music Icons at The Caverns in Pelham

4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 31

Movie Classics: The Red Balloon and The Cameraman feat. organist Peter Krasinski at the Schermerhorn

Fruit Bats w/Carriers at The Caverns in Pelham

Pedro the Lion w/Flock of Dimes at The Basement East

Nashville Sounds vs. Iowa Cubs at First Horizon Park (through July 13)

Watercolor Wednesdays with the Nashville Public Library at Church Street Park, every Wednesday

NightLight 615’s 21-and-up outdoor movie series at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Top Gun

Joe Pera at Zanies (through July 13)

Food Truck Friday at Arrington Vineyards, every Friday

Check out Goat Yoga Nashville at Capitol View

Visit the Lane Motor Museum

New Kids on the Block w/ Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff at FirstBank Amphitheater (also July 17)

Nashville SC vs. Orlando City SC at Geodis Park

NightLight 615’s 21-and-up outdoor movie series at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Men in Black

Nashville Dance Festival at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts

Jazz Under the Stars at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Midweek Adult Skate Night at the Rivergate Skate Center

Mates of State at The Basement East

Nashville Sounds vs. Charlotte Knights at First Horizon Park (through July 28)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert at the Schermerhorn

Sleater-Kinney at Brooklyn Bowl

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder at the Ryman

Crockett at the Ryman (also July 27)

Motown Mondays at The 5 Spot, every Monday

Peso Pluma Éxodo Tour at Bridgestone Arena

Leagues Cup Group Stage: Nashville SC vs. Mazatlan FC at Geodis Park

Silent

Charley

Ben Platt with Brandy Clark at the Ryman (also July 7)

Lake Street Dive at Ascend Amphitheater

Tomat-O-Rama Festival at the Nashville Farmers’ Market

Cornelia Airpark Concerts feat. People on the Porch, Mason Marcus Turner and South for the Winter at Cornelia Fort Airpark

Def Leppard, Journey & Steve Miller Band at Nissan Stadium

Paradise Road Show Classic Car and Motorcycle Show at The Dive Motel

Be Your Own Pet at Eastside Bowl

Austin

Bauman,

Owner of Tabla Rasa Toys and Tabla Rasa Cafe

East Nashville’s Tabla Rasa Toys has something for just about anyone. The toy shop itself is brimming with exciting merchandise, skaters can enjoy the adjacent Cecil’s Skate Shop, and those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the Tabla Rasa Cafe next door (formerly known as the Soft Service Station).

This year’s new menu provides several unique ways to enjoy a cold, sweet treat, from classic chocolate and vanilla soft serve to the Sunbeam (a shake featuring freshly squeezed lemonade) or the Walla Royal shake (featuring chai from Chai Wallah). The cafe also offers coffee, which lends itself well to an affogato or a Kick Flip (featuring cold brew). The cafe serves snacks, and the JMAS Breakfast Burritos food truck is parked on the lot and open Thursday through Sunday.

“We wanted this to be a family corner — a place where people could go and have a good time with their whole family,” owner Austin Bauman tells the Scene. “I think a lot of Nashville businesses leave out kids, and a lot of Nashville tourism leaves out kids. And I think that’s a really important thing to nurture as a community and as a city. And so that’s what, I think, Tabla Rasa is about.” KELSEY BEYELER

An Evening with Vince Gill at the Ryman (through Aug. 4)

Drop-In Drawing at the Frist Art Museum, first Thursday of every month

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party at Bridgestone Arena (also Aug. 3)

Anime Club for Teens at the Nashville Public Library Edmondson Pike Branch, first Monday of every month

Nashville Sounds vs. Indianapolis Indians at First Horizon Park (through Aug. 11)

Tate McRae at Ascend Amphitheater

Barbie: The Movie in Concert at Ascend Amphitheater

Visit the Anderson Road Day Use site on Percy Priest Lake

The Nashville Scene’s Fashion for a Fraction at The Factory at Franklin’s Liberty Hall 8 1 15 5 12 4 11 9 2 16 6 13 10 3 17 7 14

Puzzle Challenge at Hi-Wire Brewing, every Monday

Dusty Slay’s Grand Ole Comedy Show at Zanies

Buddy Guy: Damn Right Farewell tour at the Schermerhorn

NightLight 615’s 21-and-up outdoor movie series at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Williamson County Fair at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo Park (through Aug. 10)

James Austin Johnson at Zanies (also Aug. 3-4)

Tennessee State Fair/Wilson County Fair at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon (through Aug. 24)

Chris Stapleton at Bridgestone Arena (also Aug. 10)

Defy Film Festival at Studio 615 (also Aug. 17)

Deep Tropics feat. Kaskade, Sofi Tukker and more at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (also Aug. 17)

(also Aug. 9)

Tomato Art Fest at Five Points

Kenny Chesney: Sun Goes Down Tour feat. Zac Brown Band at Nissan Stadium

Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival at The Caverns in Pelham

JUNE 5 THE MORE LIFE TOUR

FEATURING RANDY TRAVIS, HIS ORIGINAL BAND & GUEST VOCALIST JAMES DUPRÉ ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

SEPTEMBER 13 MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM MAY 20

OCTOBER 22 BADFLOWER WITH SLOTHRUST AND MISSIO ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

OCTOBER 30 & 31

CORY WONG

FEATURING MARK LETTIERI AND COUCH ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

NOVEMBER 7 & 8

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

NOVEMBER 27

DISNEY JR. LIVE ON TOUR LET’S PLAY! ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

Ashley Layendecker and Katie Shaw, Red Arrow’s Gallery Phenoms

Characterizing Red Arrow as an East Nashville gallery — or even as a Nashville gallery, for that matter — is becoming less and less necessary. That’s partly because the gallery has grown to include artists working both inside and outside the city, but also because it functions — like many galleries in the post-pandemic art world — outside of regional limitations. Red Arrow is a great art gallery in East Nashville, but it would be a great art gallery anywhere.

“I can pinpoint the shift in our programming to the Ashanté Kindle and Khari Turner show in 2020,” says Katie Shaw, who works as Red Arrow’s gallerist alongside director Ashley Layendecker. That show, which featured work by recent Austin Peay graduates Kindle and Turner, was the gallery’s first to completely sell out. Shaw says that opened them up to a collector base they hadn’t been able to access before.

“We have continued to nearly double our sales every year since,” she says.

The gallery’s summer exhibition schedule may be its most ambitious yet. A two-person show of paintings by Keith Jackson and multimedia work by Desmond Lewis opens May 18. In June and August, the gallery will revisit last year’s successful Nashville Hot Summer group show in two parts — one in the East Nashville space, and one in a pop-up location in the newly revamped Arcade. For July, Dana Oldfather will mount a solo show in the main gallery space. It’s a lot, but the Red Arrow team is poised for greatness.

“Great artists live here,” says Shaw. “And people are collecting here too.” LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

Songwriters Under the Stars at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (Also Aug. 23-24)

w/The Cavemen at the Ryman

Chicago at Bridgestone Arena Glass Animals w/Kevin Abstract at Bridgestone Arena The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA at the Schermerhorn

Earle at the Ryman

Nashville SC vs. Austin FC at Geodis Park Iron and Wine w/Sunny War at the Ryman

Watermelon Festival at the Nashville Farmers’ Market

Cornelia Airpark Concerts feat. Brazilbilly, Josh Riley and The Young Fables at Cornelia Fort Airpark

Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at Ascend Amphitheater

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

MAY 16-18

[BADGE OF COURAGE]

DANCE

BRAVE NEW WORKS LAB

The Brave New Works Lab has been a signature event for OZ Arts, which opened its doors 10 years ago with a mission to showcase art that was brave and new. This year’s selection of entirely original short-form performances may be its strongest yet. Asia Pyron’s PYDANCE will perform God’s Country, which is the piece I’m the most excited to see. From the press release: “Seven of the city’s most intensely physical performers channel the post-punk fury and passion of a young generation at a boiling point in this high-velocity work set to the epic music of cult rock band Chat Pile.” Other offerings include collaborations between area favorites Gardening, Not Architecture and Garage Collective; a theater-poetry hybrid featuring live musical performances written by Cameron L. Mitchell and Idris Goodwin; and a multimedia movement-based piece from choreographer Arelys Hernandez. Visit ozartsnashville.com to secure your tickets — this is likely to be one of the most interesting and dynamic presentations of locally grown talent this season. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

MAY 16-18 AT OZ ARTS

6172 COCKRILL BEND CIRCLE

THURSDAY / 5.16

[FLY TILL YOU DIE]

MUSIC

BBYMUTHA W/FLY ANAKIN

When she stopped in at The Blue Room on Halloween 2019, masterful Dirty South rapper bbymutha was already cool as hell. Her handle came from flipping the script on an insult, and she built her work and her public persona around the realities of being a single mom; her track “Rules,” which went viral in 2017, set a bar for being both colorful and brutally honest about protecting yourself from selfish people. Today she’s in a whole new life situation — having moved from Chattanooga, where she grew up, to a home in Atlanta with her partner and fellow badass MC Fly Anakin — and focused on making art on her terms. Her new LP Sleep Paralysis, whose title refers to a medical condition she’s struggled with since childhood, features intense narratives united by a theme of commanding respect and intriguing, eerieass electronic production. “One of the things that bothers me is that certain fans get stuck in certain areas of my career, and they want me to stay there,” bbymutha told Flood recently. “I

want my fans to get over it and dance to this new shit.” She and Anakin are back at Third Man on Thursday; she told you exactly what to do. STEPHEN TRAGESER

8 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS 623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

FRIDAY

/ 5.17

FOOD & DRINK

[LEAVE THE PARTY BUSES BEHIND] FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS

As I’m writing, the city has just experienced a whirlwind Cinco de Mayo weekend with many concerts, sports, Kentucky Derby watch parties and festivals happening from end to end. Nashville was stuffed to the gills. And maybe that’s your cup of tea! But if you’re like me, you sometimes yearn for an atmosphere quieter, more rural and far from the “Nash Bash” crowd. You don’t necessarily want to move, but if you could just microdose the countryside every so often, you’d be gucci. Might I recommend taking a personal day and spending Friday just 25 miles south of downtown at Arrington Vineyards? Arrington’s 95 acres feel like a different world from Nashville’s center,

with rolling green hills, beautiful sunsets and lovely vineyards. Plus, beginning in May and running every Friday all summer, the vineyard hosts food trucks and free live music. This Friday will feature jazz by The Josh Karas Trio and, at the barn, bluegrass by Craig Duncan. Grab a picnic blanket, a flight of wine, some of Mac Shack’s loaded gourmet mac-and-cheese or a big Steaming Goat’s sandwich, and before you know it, you’ll forget the screaming party buses — at least until your ride back home. RYNE WALKER

4:30 P.M. AT ARRINGTON VINEYARDS

6211 PATTON ROAD, ARRINGTON

[FREE TUNES]

MUSIC

MUSICIANS CORNER FEAT. THE AQUADUCKS, VINCE GILL, SUNNY WAR, NORDISTA FREEZE & MORE

Musicians Corner — one of the best free shows in town and a sweaty summer tradition for music fans — returns this weekend for its 15th (!!!) year. This family-friendly (and, again, free) concert series launches Friday on the Centennial Park south lawn, where it’ll take place every week through June 15, before returning for a second five-week run in August and September. The kickoff weekend includes Friday performances from funk band The Aquaducks, folk-punk artist Sunny War, indie rocker Danielle Durack, Nashville songwriter-producer Anthony da Costa and troubadour Roderick August. Festivities continue Saturday with local psychrock performer Nordista Freeze, tenured indie artist Lissie, pop-rock outfit Future Crib and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, who’s billed to make an appearance in celebration of the event’s 15th anniversary. Come hungry: Each show includes a rotating cast of local food trucks, such as Daddy’s Dogs, Retro Sno and Bondi Bowls. (The food lineup is subject to change, organizers note on the Musicians Corner website.) Additional attractions include craft vendors and “Kidsville,” an educational play area for littles. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

5 P.M. MAY 17, NOON MAY 18 AT CENTENNIAL PARK 2500 WEST END AVE

[JUGBAND BLUES]

MUSIC

SGT. SPLENDOR

The development of Americana music continues in a line that’s roughly parallel to the string of genre-busting experiments you hear in contemporary mainstream country. When I listen to Beyoncé’s recent Cowboy Carter, I hear a heedless — and highly conceptual — eclecticism that finds a pop star choosing among postmodern artifacts of pop, rock and country. Meanwhile, the New York duo Sgt. Splendor manages to evoke the feel of the records funk singer Betty Davis cut in the 1970s. Since this is Americana, they sound like they could also appeal to fans of, say, folk-blues singer Sierra Ferrell, who has become a breakout star in the genre. What links Sgt. Splendor singer Kate Vargas to the freewheeling attack of ’30s blues singers and to Ferrell’s retro-folk sound — not to mention The Memphis Jug Band themselves — is partly the quality of Vargas’ voice. Her serrated tone and bluesy intonations on her 2018

album For the Wolfish & Wandering give weight to stark songs that sound a lot like Americana to me. Vargas joined forces with guitarist Eric McFadden to cut Sgt. Splendor’s 2022 debut full-length Occasions for Self-Congratulations The duo’s funk-blues side comes through on Occasions, but the album peaks with “Sylvia.” It could almost pass for a Townes Van Zandt song that never made it into his set list. The funk quotient increases on 2023’s Death of the Hoochie Koo — Vargas sings in a pointed, acrid manner that suggests she could become an avatar of newfangled folk-blues. Still, it’s the album’s alt-country moment — an excellent Old 97’s rip titled “It’s Alright (For Now)” — that you’ll remember. Brady Blade opens. EDD HURT

9 P.M. AT DEE’S COUNTRY COCKTAIL LOUNGE

102 E. PALESTINE AVE., MADISON

[HERE THEY ARE]

MUSIC

PARKER MILLSAP & ROBERT ELLIS

Third Man Records’ performance space hosts two formidable Americana journeymen this weekend with a Parker Millsap and Robert Ellis double billing. Millsap — an Oklahoma native firmly planted at the cross section of blues, country and throwback rock influence — made waves in the roots world a decade ago with his 2014 self-titled album and 2016 fan-favorite follow-up The Very Last Day, both propelling him to nominations at the annual Americana Music Honors & Awards at the time. Since that splashy arrival, Millsap has released a collection of rock-solid albums that cement his place as one of the finest artists in Americana’s working-class scene. He tours with Ellis, a piano-playing Texas native with a flair for richly built songs like 2019’s excellent “Nobody Smokes Anymore” and 2023’s stark, contemplative “On the Run.” Ellis plays the Blue Room in support of Yesterday’s News, a strippedback nine-song effort cut in two days. Earlier this year, Millsap and Ellis teamed for “Here We Are,” a balladeering duet they described as being about “humanity heading into space to find a new life on a new planet only to realize that the problems we faced on Earth didn’t go

NASHVILLE SCENE MAY 16 – MAY 22, 2024 • nashvillescene.com

the wayside over the decades for a number of reasons. Crucially, it’s a genre that lives and dies with its movie stars. It takes a special kind of actor to replicate the tricky combination of fastpaced repartee, frantic-bordering-on-slapstick comedy, and genuine romantic gestures. Three of the genre’s best — Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart — shared the screen in 1940’s The Philadelphia Story. These three magnetic whirling dervishes navigate marriage, journalism and social hierarchies, and it makes for some of the most exciting viewing the genre has to offer. Hepburn was considered a bit of a box-office pariah at the time (ridiculous when looked at through a modern lens), and The Philadelphia Story was engineered to be her big comeback. It worked: The movie was a huge success critically and commercially. How could it not be when you have these three involved?

LOGAN BUTTS

MAY 18-19 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

away, they’re a part of the human condition.”

MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

8 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

DANCE

[PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN ON DANCE] NASHVILLE BALLET: LIVE IN STUDIO

A: FIVE SHORT STORIES

Each year, Nashville Ballet welcomes the community into its studios for an immersive dance experience like no other. Live in Studio A offers guests a closer look — and a deeper appreciation — for the beauty and incredible athleticism behind this ever-changing art form. Titled Five Short Stories, this year’s production will showcase a selection of new works from Nashville Ballet artists past and present, including Aeron Buchanan’s Distinguishing Features, Julia Eisen’s The Yellow Wallpaper, Anneliese Guerin’s A Moment In Time, Nick Mullikin’s Where We Were Supposed to Be, and Imani Sailers’ The Red Shoes. It’s a unique opportunity to pull back the curtain on some of your favorite dancers while celebrating the conclusion of another terrific season. There will be a pre-performance talk with Nashville Ballet’s artistic director and CEO Mullikin, and you can also look forward to mingling with other guests with an open bar. AMY STUMPFL

MAY 17-23 AT THE MARTIN CENTER FOR NASHVILLE BALLET

3630 REDMON ST.

SATURDAY / 5.18

FILM [THREE OF A KIND] WEEKEND CLASSICS: THE PHILADELPHIA STORY

When the “three tickets to Challengers” meme took off following the release of Luca Guadagnino’s romantic sports drama, I was delighted to see references to several movies from one of my favorite genres: 1930s and ’40s screwball comedies. The films often centered on a love triangle (hence the Challengers connection) and were the precursor to modernday romantic comedies, but they’ve fallen by

BIKES

[FORGET ALL YOUR DUTIES, OH YEAH] TOUR DE NASH

Nashville’s largest urban bike ride is back for its 20th running as the Tour de Nash kicks into gear this weekend. The event is a celebration of cycling in Music City and offers several routes for hardcore racers, kids, bike-curious neighbors and everyone in between. The longest route, the 45-mile Grand Tour, rolls along both cycling trails and roads through neighborhoods like the Nations, Germantown, East Nashville, 12South, Green Hills and more. It’s not exactly the French countryside, but two-wheel enthusiasts know that Middle Tennessee’s rolling hills offer a real challenge. The race is organized by Walk Bike Nashville, an organization that advocates for pedestrian and cyclist safety in Nashville. (A disclosure: After Scene contributor Margaret Littman pointed out that a $75 donation can get you a WeGo QuickTicket annual transit pass, I have donated to this organization since last year.) Suit up in your Lycra — or your T-shirt, since the event welcomes riders of all kinds — and hit the road. COLE VILLENA

7:30 A.M. BEGINNING AT 51ST AVENUE NORTH IN THE NATIONS

MUSIC

[THE BOOGIE IS BACK] EASTSIDE BOOGIE

Pompadours and poodle skirts reign supreme each year at the Eastside Boogie. The two-day retro-rock ’n’ roll rumble celebrates post-WWII Americana culture including music, fashion, food and automobiles. Eastside Bowl — the ideal place for cool cats to hang in Music City — hosts the Boogie for the third year in a row. Notable rockabilly and honky-tonk artists such as Deke Dickerson, Jane Rose and the Deadends, Laid Back Country Picker, Chuck Mead and the Stalwarts, local heartthrobs The Hi-Jivers, The Cowpokes, period-specific DJs and many more make for a stellar lineup of live music all weekend long. Early birds and greasers can start their day off by catching classic cars cruising in before a vintage and Western-wear fashion show in the afternoon. Don’t forget to

SGT. SPLENDOR

5.19

nashvillescene.com

cap it all off with a cheeseburger and a soda pop from Chark’s Laneside Diner after a round of bowling for full-on nostalgia. JASON VERSTEGEN

MAY 18-19 AT EASTSIDE BOWL

1508 GALLATIN PIKE

MUSIC [A FLUID SUCCESSION OF PRESENTS] NASHVILLE DRONE

Fundamentally, a musical drone is a single ongoing sound, and you could be forgiven for thinking that music made with drones is, well, kinda one-note. (Sorry.) But there’s a kaleidoscopic array of possibilities for making drones, as well as for the expressive possibilities within them. Are they single tones or clusters? Are they acoustic or electronic in origin? If they shift, in what way? What kind of emotional information do they convey? An extensive ensemble of local and traveling artists will explore this realm Saturday on the East Side. The Nashville Drone event is a collaboration between Nashville inclusive electronic music organization Hyasynth House, contemporary creative art music ensemble chatterbird, Knoxville indie label Gezellig Records and socialchange-focused organization Unmanageable Arts. Thirteen groups and/or individual musicians will participate in this six-hour sound bath, including chatterbird, Hyasynth House co-founder Eve Maret, wind-instrument maestro JayVe Montgomery, champion shaper of sound Linda Heck (as Infanta Silhouette) and psytrance DJ MissyMiss. They’ll be accompanied on their journey by five movement artists — Sari Hoke, Spencer Grady, McKay House, Phylicia Roybal and Kristen Carrara — and the Flooded Sun liquid light show crew. STEPHEN TRAGESER 6 P.M. AT EMERSON HALL 2512 GALLATIN AVE.

realized he had a story of his own to share. The “first-born son of Jews who fled from Nazi Germany in the 1930s,” he was well aware that he had lost relatives in the Holocaust. Then, in 2016, a stranger found a suitcase in a little antique shop in the Czech Republic. It turned out to be the suitcase that Lorsch’s great-uncle, Julius Lorsch, had carried with him to the concentration camps. This Sunday, Lorsch will be at Franklin First United Methodist Church to share his family’s remarkable story, through a unique blend of original music, storytelling and archival footage. Lorsch plays all the music live — with violin, octave violin and cello — using looping technology to create the effect of a full string ensemble. AMY STUMPFL

6:30 P.M. AT FRANKLIN FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 120 ALDERSGATE WAY, FRANKLIN

FILM

[DOUBLE DUB-BLE FEATURE] STUDIO GHIBLI FEST: NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND & CASTLE IN THE SKY

SUNDAY / 5.19

THEATER

[A SUITCASE OF MEMORIES] THE SUITCASE

As a successful Nashville-based producer, session player, arranger and songwriter, Tim Lorsch has spent much of his career working outside the spotlight. But with the arrival of a mysterious suitcase several years ago, Lorsch

Martin Scorsese isn’t the only iconic auteur whose mid-’80s films were mishandled, misunderstood and just straight-up ignored when they landed. Hayao Miyazaki’s second and third films were also treated like redheaded stepchildren around these parts. His 1984 sophomore feature Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was recut and released in the U.S. as Warriors of the Wind, distributed by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. There are not one but two English-dubbed versions; Disney dropped a 2005 dub featuring Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman and Mark Hamill. Castle in the Sky, Miyazaki’s 1986 follow-up, was also dubbed twice by U.S. voice actors. The 2003 dub, once again overseen by Disney, includes voice work from James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin and — you guessed it! — Mark Hamill. Both the uncut English and Japanese versions will be shown during this year’s Studio Ghibli Fest. So whether you prefer it original or Americanized, it’ll still be shown the way Miyazaki prefers. Visit fathomevents.com for showtimes of each version. CRAIG D. LINDSEY MAY 19-22 AT REGAL CINEMAS

THU 5.16 JARREN BLAIR SPACE JAM 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

FRI 5.17 YEARB4 • BLUPHORIA KEEP THE ELEVEN

SAT 5.18 TITANS OF SIREN ALBUM RELEASE MAIDEN MOTHER CRONE • UPLANDER

SUN 5.19 CARL PARISO • ALEX BONYATA THE TOWER BROTHERS

MON 5.20 EXLEY • MILES CONNOR • JOE HAYES

TUE 5.21 ULTIMATE COMEDY FREE LOCAL STAND UP!

WED 5.22 CAMPING IN ALASKA • GUITAR FIGHT FROM FOOLY COOLY • GODFUCK YOUNG ROBOT

THU 5.23 THE ULTIMATE COMEDY SHOWCASE 2412 GALLATIN AVE @THEEASTROOM

MONDAY / 5.20

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UPCOMING EVENTS

PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET/EVENT FOR TICKETS & UPDATES

FRIDAY, MAY 17

12:00PM BOOK SIGNING WITH VALERIE BERTINELLI at PARNASSUS Indulge

10:30AM

SATURDAY, MAY 18

SATURDAY STORYTIME with JOY JORDAN-LAKE at PARNASSUS All The Little Animals

MONDAY, MAY 20

6:30PM JOHN COWAN & JIMMY SCHWARTZ with RON WYNN at PARNASSUS Hold to a Dream: A Newgrass Odyssey

TUESDAY, MAY 21

6:30PM BEN GRONER III

with EMILY SINER at PARNASSUS Dust Storms May Exist

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

6:30PM

MICHAEL MCDONALD & PAUL REISER at PARNASSUS What A Fool Believes

THURSDAY, MAY 23

MUSIC [SCRAMBLED KEGS] CRYSTAL EGG W/JOE’S TUBATORIUM

If you’ve driven under the train bridge on Thompson Lane during afternoon rush hour, you’ve likely heard the low-frequency toots of Joe Hunter’s tuba reverberating from the off-white tile walls of the Hicks-Ellis Tunnel. If you’ve ever wondered what Hunter would sound like in a setting where one could listen to an entire song — not just the chords you might catch between entering and exiting the tunnel — you now have a chance. Hunter — billed as Joe’s Tubatorium — will open for local trio Crystal Egg at South Nashville haunt Rosie’s Twin Kegs, only a block from the bridge where Hunter plays nightly. After making their live debut just over a year ago at Soft Junk, Crystal Egg has finally released a proper song I can let folks listen to when I tell them the imaginative musical trio is one of my favorite acts in town. The synthesizer/drum/vocal group eschews the traditional guitar setup of most bands to create a bouncy tune that reminds me a lot of Stereolab or the trilogy of albums Brian Eno released between leaving Roxy Music and going purely ambient. The band should be in top form, fresh off a six-show run with New York’s Lemon Twigs. True to the title of the Egg’s debut single, “What Money?” the show is free. P.J. KINZER

8 P.M. AT ROSIE’S TWIN KEGS

a stand-alone song of the summer, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and keeps 10 years of sleeper hits (like 2014’s “Jeff Gordon”) in his pocket. Shaboozey celebrates his forthcoming album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (his third) with shows in L.A., New York and Nashville. A recent venue move from The Basement to The Basement East means a few more tickets can be sold. Come dressed for a party.

ELI MOTYCKA

8 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT EAST 917 WOODLAND ST.

FILM

[THE WORST, THE GREATEST] MUSIC CITY MONDAYS: THE WORLD’S GREATEST SINNER

3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243 Shop online at parnassusbooks.net

6:30PM RUTH WARE at NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY One Perfect Couple parnassusbooks parnassusbooksnashville parnassusbooks parnassusbooks1

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

MUSIC

[WHERE HE’S GOING] SHABOOZEY

Two features on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter — “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin’” — launched Shaboozey into the 2024 stratosphere. The countrified coastal Virginian rapper followed up his moment in the spotlight with

Everything about The World’s Greatest Sinner — from the story to the way it was made to the experience you’ll have while watching it — can only be described as, well, fuckin’ insane. Then again, this hella-independent 1962 movie was the directorial debut of Timothy Carey, a rebellious character actor (he worked with fellow mavericks Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavetes) whose eccentric acting style made him a cult figure among filmmakers and film nerds. (He basically walked so Nicolas Cage could run.) Aptly enough, he plays a cult figure in this crazed bit of rock ’n’ roll exploitation. (A young Frank Zappa, who would later call this “the world’s worst movie,” provided the soundtrack.) A family man who gets fed up with selling insurance becomes a guitar-wielding messiah, roping in followers with his gyrating moves while sliding further into sin (he seduces teenage girls and old ladies) and corruption. This is the true definition of a psychotronic film: It’s badly shot, badly acted, badly edited — and yet it must be seen to be believed. Belcourt staffer Cory Lee Hardin will introduce a new 4K restoration. CRAIG D. LINDSEY

8 P.M. AT THE BELCOURT

2102 BELCOURT AVE.

SHABOOZEY

Nashville blues singer Laura Reed and guitar wizard Laur Joamets is Lore, a grungy rock band that mixes Reed’s mesmerizing vocals with Joamets’ second-nature playing.

Saturday, May 18

SONGWRITER SESSION

Faren Rachels

NOON · FORD THEATER

Sunday, May 19

MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

John Cowan

1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

Thursday, May 23

EXHIBIT OPENING

RECEPTION

Lori Field

Saints, Tigers, Warriors, Lovers, Flowers

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm · HALEY GALLERY

Saturday, May 25

HATCH SHOW PRINT

Block Party

9:30 am, NOON, and 2:30 pm

HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

WITNESS HISTORY

Museum Membership

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Saturday, May 25

SONGWRITER ROUND

Songs of Eric Church

Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde, and Driver Williams

NOON · FORD THEATER

Saturday, May 25

CONVERSATION AND PERFORMANCE

Meet the Eric Church Band

2:30 pm · FORD THEATER

Friday, May 31

BOOK TALK

Broadcasting the Ozarks

with authors Kitty Ledbetter and Scott Foster Siman

11:00 am

TAYLOR SWIFT EDUCATION CENTER

MUSIC

[SIDE TRIPS]

TODD RUNDGREN

ShopScene!the

One of the many ways singer, multiinstrumentalist and producer Todd Rundgren has influenced rock ’n’ roll is via his insouciance. The warmth that breathes through his early1970s work is a function of Rundgren’s ability to mix snideness and post-adolescent lyricism. Like most fans of high-level pop, I love his 1972 album Something/Anything? for its modified Philadelphia-soul style harmonies and subtly futuristic tone — it’s an experimental album that’s also a dreamscape of beautifully melancholic songwriting. His work over the past half-century has included side trips into prog rock that coexist with some pretty great power pop in his late-’70s work with Utopia. He’s also made his mark as a producer, with special credit for his work on XTC’s 1986 Skylarking, an album that divides XTC fans because of the instantly recognizable quality of Rundgren’s production. His recent work includes 2022’s Space Force, which features the great pop master collaborating with the likes of Adrian Belew, Sparks and power-pop band The Lemon Twigs. It’s good stuff — those reliably rich chords continue to give satisfaction. He’s been playing material like Utopia’s 1979 “Rock Love” and his 1995 solo track “Beloved Infidel” on his current tour, with a few early-’70s classics thrown in for good measure. If you’re a longtime Rundgren fan, you know that his admirers love him for his polymathic pop sensibility — his career stands as a case study in the joys of pure experimentation. EDD HURT

7:30 P.M. AT THE RYMAN

116 REP. JOHN LEWIS WAY N.

words that will break your heart wide open. Ben Groner is like this. He took his big, poetic heart on a 10,000-mile road trip and wrote about what he saw, and what he saw is now printed and bound in a collection of poems titled Dust Storms May Exist. From the press release: “These poems are a reckoning with what his country is and could be.” In celebration of his debut poetry collection, Groner will be in conversation with (surprise!) his wife, journalist Emily Siner. KIM BALDWIN

6:30 P.M. AT PARNASSUS BOOKS

3900 HILLSBORO PIKE

FOOD [FORAGE FORCE]

SEARCHING FOR WILD EDIBLES

I’ll never forget the time on a backpacking trip when my hiking buddy spotted an unusual sprout in the ground, dug it up and produced a few tiny wild cucumbers for us to eat. It was incredibly impressive, and I’ve been digging up and eating any wild plants I find ever since, just in case I find a tasty mushroom! … Just kidding. Foraging for edible plants in nature is fun, but it can be incredibly dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. (My friend was, among other things, once an instructor at a nature camp.) For people in our neck of the woods who want to learn, Long Hunter State Park seasonal interpretive ranger Jason Allen will lead an exploratory hike along the park’s Deer Trail. He’ll discuss how to identify safe-to-eat plants on the trail and scour the land for examples. If you’re interested in building this survival skill — or if you just want to show off to your friends on your next hike — pre-register online and meet up at the Deer Trail trailhead near the park visitor center. COLE VILLENA

TUESDAY / 5.21

BOOKS [CHILLPRENEUR] BEN GRONER: DUST STORMS MAY EXIST

Something I’ve noticed about poets is how they seem chill on the surface, but then they’ll go away for a little while and come back with

5:30 P.M. AT LONG HUNTER STATE PARK 2910 HOBSON PIKE, HERMITAGE

WEDNESDAY

/ 5.22

MUSIC

[HASTA LA VISTA, BABY] TERMINATOR

The barrage of noise that forges TERMINATor’s sound never creates a safe environment for casual listening. The threesome split their workaday lives between Seattle and New York City, carrying along a Pacific Northwestern gloom and the cacophony heard in the more unsettling moments of Sonic Youth and The Velvet Underground. The songs on their 2022 album Placate Boring Flesh, only loosely attached to melody, progress patiently like a morphine drip. Though the band’s name and macabre art might indicate that TERMINATor’s LP is an obscure ripper from the golden age of Brazilian thrash metal, the plodding tempos, meditative flute moments and atonal guitars sound more like something from Manhattan’s bohemian gallery scene of the 1980s. The band will appear at all-ages art space Drkmttr on an Eastern U.S. tour celebrating their magnificently bleak new EP Church Music, out on the True Love label. P.J. KINZER

7 P.M. AT DRKMTTR

BURR, OF THE MOMENT

Speaking

to comedian Bill Burr about the South, ‘cancel culture’ and his fans

BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

EMMY- AND GRAMMY-NOMINATED comedian Bill Burr filmed his 2017 Netflix special Walk Your Way Out at Nashville’s beloved Ryman Auditorium, and in 2022 he made history as the first comedian to headline (and sell out) Boston’s Fenway Park. In 2023, he was also the first stand-up comedian to perform at the ancient Roman amphitheater Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece. (Yes, it’s a Roman amphitheater in Greece — something Burr calls a “very, very special experience.”)

On Friday, Burr will bring his stand-up to thousands of fans gathered at Bridgestone Arena. He recently spoke to the Scene by phone — while making bacon and eggs for his growing family — about touring in the South, the end of “cancel culture” and appreciating the fans fueling his booming career, which has evolved beyond just stand-up. He’s earned acting credits in prestige TV shows like Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian and films like 2020’s Pete Davidson vehicle The King of Staten Island, plus he wrote and voiced the lead character in the animated Netflix series F Is for Family, and has hosted Monday Morning Podcast since 2007. Last year, Burr made his directorial debut with

Burr has been performing throughout the South for years, and notes his love for 1970s and ’80s stock car racing, wrestling and Southern rock. He also acknowledges the “progressive Southerner.”

“I love going through the South and, like, I deliberately act like I don’t understand you guys,” Burr jokes.

While regional stereotypes are still standard comedic fodder, the ribbing goes both ways for the Massachusetts native — he insists his dad wasn’t a lobster fisherman, and says he didn’t grow up in a lighthouse.

“If I go to a red state, I make fun of red state stuff,” he says. “I’m not going to just tell them what they want to hear. And when I go to blue states, you know, I make fun of Hillary and all of that type of stuff.”

“I think the South gets a really bad rap,” he says. “White people like to act like all the racism, all the racist white people, are just in the South, and it’s been my experience that they’re everywhere. It’s kind of like how people like to act like all the pedophiles are in Hollywood. It’s like, ‘You don’t remember To Catch a Predator? They

did a bunch of seasons of that show, and they never had to go to Hollywood to find one.’”

Like any good comedian, Burr has been an outspoken critic while both on and off the stage. One topic he isn’t afraid to weigh in on is “cancel culture” and its impact on comedy — something he estimates has reached its peak and is dying down in absurdity. When asked if he thinks live audiences in 2024 have a renewed appetite for laughing at and exploring uncomfortable truths onstage, Burr has an easy answer: That appetite never really went away to begin with.

“It was almost like a political campaign — like Say No to Drugs, or Leave No Child Behind,” he says. “It was this thing, and it wasn’t even liberals — it was extreme liberals, which are no different than the religious nuts that are way on the right.”

Burr says he believes what has now been reduced to “cancel culture” began as a movement with good intentions, like addressing incidents of sexual violence. But he’s joined other public figures in pushing back against the current state of the social movement.

“It really got out of control, and it died un-

der its own weight because you couldn’t get enough people behind it,” he says. “And now, what’s funny is the people that were doing it are now trying to walk away from it and trying to say, ‘Nobody got canceled, it wasn’t that bad,’ which is classic toxic behavior — you do it, and then years later, when you get called on it, you act like it never happened.”

The phrase “comedian’s comedian” often comes up in interviews with and conversations about Burr, but it’s clear he’s also a comedian of the people — something he doesn’t take for granted.

“I’m always blown away that anybody ever comes out to see me,” he says.

“I felt like I made it way back in 2010, 2011, when I was able to buy a house telling jokes, so I love doing it. It’s the thing that makes me the happiest, and I don’t take people coming to my show lightly. I know that they, you know, take time off from work, they got a babysitter, they spent money to come out here.

“My job is to make them laugh their ass off, and I think I’m really good at it,” he continues. “I also feel like I’m just starting to hit my stride, and I have a lot left in the tank.” ▼

the short film “Soda” and feature film Old Dads

Friday, May 17, at Bridgestone

PHOTO: KOURY ANGELO

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S WOMEN

Nashville Rep ends its 39th season with fabulous, high-flying POTUS

BY AMY STUMPFL

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION is still nearly six months away, but I’m already completely overwhelmed by the nonstop political punditry. Whether it’s due to the never-ending news cycle or the constant name-calling and divisiveness, political fatigue is real. Fortunately, Nashville Repertory Theatre has just the remedy — its hilarious season closer POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

Penned by Selina Fillinger, this “fiercely feminist farce” opened on Broadway in 2022, and takes us behind the scenes on an especially difficult day at the White House. It all starts when the president drops the C-word in a room full of foreign diplomats and members of the press. And there’s that nasty anal abscess he’s been meaning to have drained. And a pregnant mistress, who discreetly announces that she’s “here about the position.” (Wink, wink.)

It’s a crazy setup, to be sure. But as Lauren Shouse states in her director’s note, POTUS is “political, but not partisan.” Indeed, much of the brilliance behind Fillinger’s script is that we never actually meet the fictional idiot-in-chief. He may be the reason things are teetering on

the brink of disaster, but this sharp comedy is much more concerned about the women in his orbit — and the absolute bullshit they’re forced to endure in the name of career, family and, you know, world peace.

Shouse makes a welcome return to Nashville Rep, directing what feels like an A-list ensemble of farcical Flying Wallendas and walking the story’s outrageous tightrope with a delightful sense of daring. Balancing the smart with the silly, Shouse keeps the action moving forward with great precision and clarity. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she has pulled together a stellar cast.

Lauren Berst is sensational as Harriet, the long-suffering, super-stressed chief of staff who everyone agrees is the real brains behind the Oval Office — despite the fact that she just had T-shirts printed up for the Female Models of Leadership Council, unwittingly using the unfortunate acronym FML. Tamara Todres provides an excellent counterbalance as Jean, the no-nonsense press secretary and resident spin doctor with a penchant for turtlenecks. (“They’re universally flattering!”) Watching these two pros go toe to toe is always a treat, but they’re particularly strong here.

Tamiko Robinson Steele is picture-perfect as Margaret, the astute, über-accomplished first lady, who has taken to wearing Crocs in order to appear more relatable and “earthy.” Kris Sidberry is also terrific as Chris, a seasoned journalist and single mom, doggedly chasing down stories while simultaneously double-pumping breast milk for her infant twins.

As always, Rachel Agee is a riot as the president’s wayward sister Bernadette, a caustic, drug-dealing loose cannon who’s hoping for a pardon. (Sizing up Jean’s sensible turtleneck, she declares it “very Jackie O. meets Carl Sagan.”) And newcomer Quincey Lou Huerter is priceless as Dusty, POTUS’ goofy girlfriend, who’s into blue slushies and conflict management, but is not above giving the occasional blowjob in service to her country.

But it’s Darci Nalepa Elam (in another impressive Nashville Rep debut) who earns some of the evening’s biggest laughs as Stephanie, a hardworking admin struggling with self-esteem issues. Elam is positively fearless in her physicality, whether practicing her self-help power stance, racing about the stage in an inflatable innertube or delivering a scorching air-guitar

POTUS

Through May 19 at TPAC’s Johnson Theater, 505 Deaderick St. nashvillerep.org

solo while hopped up on hallucinogens.

It may sound like sheer chaos, but beyond all the absurdity, POTUS poses some serious questions about women who are seemingly complicit to the very system that holds them back. And though it’s all done with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Fillinger does remind us that women are at their best when they set aside their differences and work together.

Gary C. Hoff’s set provides an efficient and believable playground, with plenty of slamming doors and an ingenious center section that opens up like a dollhouse. Darren E. Levin’s lighting is quite effective, particularly in an extended montage in which the ladies throw down, executing Carrie Brewer’s fabulous fight choreography with relish. (Extra points for the production’s girl-power soundtrack — dubbed the “Bitch Beats” playlist — featuring tunes from the likes of Blondie, Pat Benatar and Bikini Kill.) And Melissa K. Durmon’s costumes help establish each character — whether it’s an elegant pantsuit for the first lady or Dusty’s more free-spirited sundress.

Fast-paced and searingly funny, this is one POTUS that is sure to win the popular vote. ▼

THREE TIMES A LADY featuring LAUREN MASCITTI, HANNAH, BLAYLOCK & KENNEDY SCOTTLIVE Album Release Show with ERIN GIBNEY Bluebird on 3rd featuring LESLIE SATCHER, TONY ARATA, MARV GREEN with KAYLEY BISHOP + MADELEINE KELSON

Backstage Nashville! Daytime Hit

THE CLEVERLYS with MASON VIA GUILTY PLEASURES

TENILLE TOWNES & FRIENDSA Night of Patty Griffin Songs featuring ASHLEY MCBRYDE, THE CADILLAC THREE, CAYLEE HAMMACK & MEG MCREE

- 2010's dance party x ambassadors w/ new west & rowan drake a room on fire - the music of the strokes ben chapman's peach jam zebra w/ the great affairs & in theory six one tribe, brian brown & sweet poison the dead daisies w/ rock city machine co.

6/27

nicolette & the nobodies (7pm) ric robertson w/ hawk alert (9pm) bee taylor w/ boys club for girls (7pm) chemtrail w/ shedonist & hollow head (9pm) lawrence rothman w/ liam st. john (7pm)

the smokeshows w/ tennessee muscle candy & sean carrol (9pm)

chris kasper w/ jano rix, jp ruggieri & brook sutton (7pm)

joel adam russell, jack barksdale, austin plaine (7pm)

imogen clark (7pm)

safari room w/ molly frances (7pm)

soren hansen & jacob kulick (9pm)

grlwood (7pm)

cliffs w/ zachary scott

MUSIC TAKING ROOT

Lawrence Rothman revisits their earliest inspirations on The Plow That Broke the Plains

BY RACHEL CHOLST

LAWRENCE ROTHMAN CONCLUDES their triumphant release tour for The Plow That Broke the Plains with Saturday’s show in Nashville, only a few miles from where the album was born. Ever the shapeshifter, Rothman makes music that is not easy to place in one genre, which is just the way they like it. However, when they sat down to write The Plow That Broke the Plains in a cabin outside Franklin, the roots-rock they grew up with flowed from their pen.

“Having just a guitar and a piano in my hand made the songs go a little bit more traditional,” says Rothman. “Once that was happening, I didn’t want to force anything.”

When preparing to record, Rothman typically pulls from batches of songs written over an extended period. But The Plow That Broke the Plains represents a specific snapshot in time, the output of that creative flow amid the Tennessee greenery.

“I feel like when I’m down there, I can think, I can write, I can focus,” they say. “It’s very similar to how I grew up, and I can catch that kid spirit again, which helps me prolong my art. The moment I lose the child in me is the moment I think I’ll probably lose my art.”

Rothman grew up in St. Louis. Their father was a rock DJ on FM radio, but at home he played a wide variety of genres. “It was the pre-internet days,” Rothman recalls, “and he was our portal into the world of music outside of the four walls of St. Louis.” They dove into music headfirst, playing pretty much any instrument in any group that would have them, regardless of genre.

“I did my first recording in Nashville when I was 15 years old at a studio called Alex the Great,” says Rothman. “I had four songs: One was punk, one was hip-hop, one was a Leonard Cohen-style folk song, and one was a techno song. The producer was like, ‘What the hell?’ And I was like, ‘Why can’t I do them all?’”

The 12 songs on Rothman’s 2017 debut solo album The Book of Law explore nine different characters and draw on a wealth of genres, reflecting the multiplicities Rothman sees within themself. They collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Billie Eilish (not yet the superstar she is today), Angel Olsen and even Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan.

“I think it took the streaming era for people to wrap their heads around the idea that you don’t need to be boxed into listening to one type of music,” Rothman says. While this stance is a cornerstone of Rothman’s music, it’s also fundamental to their self-expression. “I think it’s important to always, 100 percent be your fucking self. I like all sorts of music; I like all sorts of foods; I like all sorts of clothes. I like to dress one way for, like, one year and then dress

a completely different way. About 10 years ago, I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t censoring my authentic self — and my authentic self hops around.”

Part of that commitment to authenticity stems from an upsetting incident in the early years of the George W. Bush administration. At the time, Rothman was performing with Living Things, a politically engaged punk band. During one show in Texas, while wearing makeup and what they describe as an “interesting outfit,” part of which was a dress, they set a picture of the president on fire. “Maybe Texas wasn’t the place to do that,” they quip.

Stoked perhaps by homophobia, the rabid jingoism of the time or a little of both, someone

in the crowd fired a gun at Rothman, and after the show they were pistol-whipped. The band’s label compounded the trauma by spreading the story around in the media, leaving Rothman to look out for their own safety should someone plan an attack of their own. Two decades later, Rothman enlisted Jason Isbell to co-write the slow-burning Plains song “Poster Child” about this experience. Thematically, it’s a great match for the blistering country-rocker “R. Blood,” Rothman’s first protest song since that episode.

“That show spooked me for a while,” they say, “but when it came time for me to do this record, I was analyzing my world and how it is affected by politics today. As an artist, you’re always a reflection of your surroundings.”

“R. Blood” features cutting harmonies from fellow songsmith S.G. Goodman, and it minces no words. As the pair sings in the refrain, “You can’t hide behind a politician / Our blood is on your dollars.”

Rothman has long been based in L.A., but they’re eager to return to the city where they made their earliest recordings. Saturday’s show at The Basement is an opportunity to celebrate how far they’ve come.

“This is my first club show in Nashville since 2017, and I love club shows in Nashville. They always have the best crowds, and I would take that over playing a bigger place any day of the week.” ▼

Playing 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at The Basement

THE DECEMBERISTS WILL return in style June 14 with As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, their ninth full-length and first new release since 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl. Colin Meloy has led the Portland, Ore., purveyors of literary indierock-meets-chamber-pop since they came together in 2000, and he describes the upcoming project as their “most empathetic and accessible” album to date. He also notes that the gap between records was a “natural break,” as he didn’t feel the same pressure to release new music that he has before.

“Particularly in the early part of our career, I was so consumed by everything that was happening around us,” Meloy says. “I was in such a hurry and working constantly and focused so much on writing music. As the band has gotten older and we already have this massive body of work, I’m in less of a hurry and I am much more circumspect about the stuff that I’m writing, and let it gestate a little longer. And I’m also trying to diversify my creative life with other projects.”

Set lists from the group’s North American tour — which kicked off in late April and is called A Peaceable Kingdom — suggest that about a third of the band’s famously energetic show will feature songs from As It Ever Was when they stop at the Ryman on Friday, May 24. Among them, expect to hear “Burial Ground,” in which two characters find respite from the ills of the contemporary world in a cemetery. It’s a jaunty jangle-pop tune that might put you in mind of The Shins’ James Mercer, who appropriately enough sings background vocals on the recorded version.

Also listen out for the epic album closer “Joan in the Garden,” a 19-minute fantasia about the destruction and rebirth of the world. That’s not something you expect most indie bands to pull off. But it’s not likely to come as a surprise to fans of The Decemberists, who made their major label debut in 2006 with The Crane Wife, on which Meloy & Co. somehow manage to weave Japanese folk tales, The Tempest and historical events from WWII and The Troubles into a comprehensible whole.

Meloy enjoys downtime before a Nashville show, which he can spend trying local restaurants and looking around the city’s myriad guitar shops. The historic Ryman — the site of every non-festival Decemberists show in town since 2009 — is revered by many, Meloy included.

“[The venue has such] history,” he says. “The people that have stepped foot on that stage. … It’s such a concentration of legendary people who have been there and are associated with that venue. And just the fact it’s unchanged — they haven’t tried to change it into a rock venue, it still feels like a church.”

The Decemberists taking a pause didn’t mean Meloy just kicked back in the meantime. The multihyphenate has been busy writing novels for children and young adults, and he says his

TIME MANAGEMENT

The Decemberists return in fine form with their first post-lockdown album

BY ADAM DAVIDSON

propensity toward folk songwriting made it a smooth transition to prose.

“I’ve always been attracted to narrative songwriting, and there is something that feels universal with folk storytelling,” says Meloy. “Even though it follows patterns and can be immediately recognizable, it can feel surprising and strange and unsettling. That’s what has drawn me to it.”

As a marker of his success as an author, Meloy’s 2011 fantasy novel for children Wildwood will be adapted into a stop-motion animated film. Set for release in 2025, the adaptation is set to have an A-list cast including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina and Richard E. Grant. The movie will be produced

by Laika, the team behind stop-motion hits like Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings. It can never be easy for an author to hand over their art to be adapted, but Meloy has complete faith in the team’s vision.

“The studio making this will have their own approach and their own aesthetic,” he says, “and it will be its own movie to a certain degree. Of anyone taking it on, I trust that they are doing it for the very best reasons and that their heart is definitely in the story.”

Meloy isn’t anticipating quite such a long gap between As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again and the next album. However, he is making no promises and plans to let things develop naturally.

“There are a handful of songs that I still want to try and get down. We ended up culling a lot of the demos to narrow it down to the 70 minutes that we ended up putting on the record. But I have other projects that I’m working on. I’m writing another book, so that will definitely take precedence when we are done.” ▼

Playing 8 p.m. Friday, May 24, at the Ryman

RIDING THE RANGE

BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ

BAD BUNNY IS in his cowboy era. No, he’s not dropping a country album like Beyoncé, but the Latin trap star has been playing with Western imagery for a while now, including the balaclava-clad rodeo cowboy on the cover of his most recent album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. The imagery was enforced by the light-up cowboy boots on lanyards handed out to audience members as we filed into Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

In turn, cowboy outfits and Western wear have become a trend at Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour, and Nashville, of course, did not disappoint when the Latin trap star came to town. It’s likely Nashville wasn’t just repping its country bona fides here — the city also boasts fans of rancho, grupo and norteño, genres that invoke vaquero imagery. (Benito has also dabbled in the genre, working with artists like Grupo Frontera and Nathanael Cano.)

The crowd was starting to get antsy but was still in good spirits when the show started an hour-and-a-half late. Excitement rose when a live orchestra — mostly strings and some horns — took the stage for a few melodies, and then started on the opening of “Nadie Sabe,” the sprawling, introspective first track of Bad Bunny’s most recent effort. The reggaetonero himself then appeared on a giant screen, and you could hear the audience trying to find his hiding spot. Minutes later, he emerged from the floor of the stage opposite the orchestra to raucous applause.

The live band stuck around for “Monaco,” a jet-setting, wealth-flexing song with mafiamovie vibes. He continued on with more from Nadie Sabe, including tracks like the bouncy “Fina” and pulsing “Cybertruck,” flanked by dancers wearing black fringe chaps and vests. The dance crew later donned creepy masks and black robes for the dark and raunchy “Baticano” — a track that calls out religious attitudes toward sex and features some juvenile similes about Teletubbies and finger-play. At the end of the number, Benito succumbed to the demons surrounding him as the dancers clawed at him and dragged him down. That provided a segue to a black-and-white video of the trapero masked up and riding solo on a horse, monologuing about going it alone. Bad Bunny has a message of following your heart and being true to yourself — even when that means playing the bad guy.

And then Benito returned to the arena, riding in on an actual horse. This short part of the show has generated some controversy and criticism from animal rights activists. On the one hand, we’ve seen horses perform at loud places like rodeos and in parades. On the other, do you really need a live animal for such a brief entrance?

He soon performed “Teléfono Nuevo,” reinforcing the loner transformation. But Bad

Bunny didn’t stick to just new stuff for Saturday’s show. His newest album is in many ways a return to his trap roots, and he broke out into a medley of verses from past singles like “Vuelve” and “Soy Peor.” He performed much of it from a rotating catwalk in the center of the arena, meaning even folks in the nosebleeds got a decent look at his wardrobe change — a casual cream-and-white ensemble had replaced the dark suit from earlier that night.

He then hopped a few feet off the catwalk and onto a piano, lounge-singer style. Accompanied by a balaclava-masked pianist, he belted out a few verses, including “Gracias por Nada” and his ode to quiet girls and beach parties, “Callaíta.” It was a surprisingly intimate moment despite the size of the venue, and a much-needed change of tone and pace. These theatrical arena shows can feel impersonal, made to replicate the same spectacles with not much variance. And as fun as the catwalk stunts, pyrotechnics and light displays were at the show, at times there was a workmanlike pace to Benito’s performance —

not quite rushed but far from leisurely.

The final few songs were all about perreo, the Puerto Rican dance associated with vigorous grinding and reggaeton. He brought out the feminist hit single “Yo Perreo Sola” from 2020’s Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da la Gana and slower “Me Porto Bonito” from 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti. Gotta respect the man for bringing out some of his most danceable material at the tail end of the show, invigorating a crowd that could have been flagging otherwise.

If there’s one big takeaway for me, it’s that all the production value in the world can’t manufacture pure star power. Bad Bunny showed he had plenty of it — he was able to trigger waves of deafening cheers simply by unbuttoning his shirt or even just taking a sip of water, heightening tension and anticipation in the silent moments between songs.

The man’s a rock star, and hopefully it doesn’t take another six years before he returns to town. Even if it does, it will be interesting to see what iteration of the ever-evolving trapero we see next. ▼

NO SOY LA CABRA, SOY EL CONEJO: BAD BUNNY

LINE DANCING: BAD BUNNY

PHOTOS: DIANA LEE ZADLO

A LOSING GAME

Biopic Back to Black falls short of Amy Winehouse’s legacy

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

ALL THROUGH Back to Black, I kept thinking of a hilarious, spot-on moment in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Tim Meadows’ hedonistic music man half-heartedly tries to scare off John C. Reilly’s titular rock legend when Dewey catches him and others getting high in a bathroom. “We’re smoking reefer, and you don’t want no part of this shit,” Meadows’ character dramatically tells Dewey while a topless lady, for some reason, hangs out in the background.

As that biopic spoof showed us, when drugs enter the picture, that’s when the story of an important musical figure begins its rocky road from tragedy to recovery to redemption. In Back to Black, it happens the day after Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela) and Blake FielderCivil (Jack O’Connell) consummate their love. She catches him taking a couple bumps of blow, which Winehouse (who’s more of a reefer gal) refuses. But as we all know by now, it isn’t long before she wants a part of that shit.

Released just a few months after Bob Marley: One Love hit theaters, Back is yet another tale of a trailblazing but troubled music icon who died way too young. And it does what every rock ’n’ roll biopic does. Yes, a lot of it is accurate. But much like when you hear a secondhand anecdote, the story is told in a condensed, embellished and heavily dramatized fashion. At times, it feels like Katt Williams is telling this woman’s story.

Just like when she began her feature-film debut with the John Lennon tell-all Nowhere Boy, Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-

THIS ISN’T HOW LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO FEEL

Escapism, reality and queerness blend in I Saw the TV Glow

BY KEN ARNOLD

Johnson once again conjures up a biopic that seems less about the music and more about the relationship between a British pop phenom and that phenom’s family. Winehouse’s deadbeat dad turned manager (played here by Eddie Marsan) is a more prominent figure in this story, practically encouraging her to be the pop star he apparently failed to be. Another key family member is loving grandmother Cynthia (Lesley Manville), a former club singer who allegedly gave Amy the inspiration to put her hair in a beehive. She also gets cancer, which of course sends Winehouse even deeper into the abyss. Sure, we get performances in which Abela, who does her own singing, mimicks Winehouse’s signature moves (those slithery, back-and-forth head nods!) like a Vegas celebrity impersonator. But Winehouse fans will most likely be unnerved by how little time is devoted to her years actually creating music. (Producers and longtime collaborators Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi are given way-toobrief shout-outs.)

From the way Back tells it, Winehouse stumbled into her stardom as a retro-soul goddess. Along with getting her hooked on all the drugs, on-again/off-again partner FielderCivil is the one who hipped her to heartbreakheavy soul tunes from girl groups like The Shangri-Las, leading Winehouse to record the hit album — the one from the movie’s title — that turned her into a worldwide sensation. (Sidebar: Back is a monster, but I’ll always be a Frank guy.)

SOMETIMES LIFE CAN be unreasonably hard. The daily abuse the world doles out leads many to search for a way to cope. In the modern era, many of us turn to some sort of escapism — whether it’s books, movies, video games, anime or TV, we’re drawn to fiction, where we don’t have to be ourselves for a time. From the suspense in the pages of And Then There Were None to the power fantasies of Dragon Ball Z or crafting your own stories in the world of Skyrim, we all have the media we disappear into — our place of comfort to escape a hostile environment where even just being our authentic selves is sometimes unacceptable.

In 1990s America, I Saw the TV Glow’s Owen (Justice Smith, with a younger version played by Ian Foreman) starts at a new school where they meet a brooding outsider named Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). The two quickly bond over The Pink Opaque, a late-night show about two teenage girls who fight a monster of the week. Owen and Maddy grow closer as their school and home lives become more oppressive and as classmates start to find out about their queerness. (Maddy is a lesbian and Owen is asexual and deeply closeted as genderqueer.) But their lives are drastically changed when their favorite TV show is suddenly canceled and Maddy disappears.

What’s truly insufferable about Back is that it’s a portrait of a shining star that makes said star look more like a flaky, insensitive, petulant fuckup than a talented artist. Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh (who wrote the generic Gloria Grahame biopic Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) mostly characterize Winehouse as a lonely, friendless lush, so wrapped up in forging a toxic, Sid-and-Nancystyle bond with a selfish, unsupportive piece of shit (O’Connell nails Fielder-Civil’s fedorawearing douchiness) that she forgets about her aspirations of becoming the next Sarah Vaughan.

Anyone who’s seen Asif Kapadia’s excellent documentary Amy (which I reviewed for the Scene nearly a decade ago) knows that Winehouse had significant personal issues (including bulimia and depression), which Back only hints at. The doc also portrayed Winehouse

Even though I Saw the TV Glow is a phenomenal piece of fiction that is highly relatable to anyone who enjoys escapism, you’ll definitely get more mileage if you’re someone who spends time in queer circles. Owen is both asexual and genderqueer, but the language for those things wasn’t exactly in the common lexicon in the ’90s — so Owen isn’t able to really understand themself. Maddy, however, understands who she is and knows she can’t fit within the cishet mold. Owen tries to fit into a cishet lifestyle, and never really gets to understand their feelings outside of that box.

Owen is also one of the best depictions of asexuality on screen to date. Many characters have been labeled asexual by their creators outside of the work itself, but very rarely is a character both asexual in a way that’s obvious within the media itself and also not attached to a cartoonishly exaggerated depiction of neurodivergence. Owen shines by avoiding stereotypes. They feel like a normal person and not a larger-than-life personality, and Owen provides a realistic depiction of the issues that people on the a-spec (asex-

as a callow but brilliant singer-songwriter, someone who worked hard to make soulful poetry about love and loss. She had friends (including celebs like stateside rapper Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def) who were there for her at her highly publicized lowest. Although Taylor-Johnson gives the gone-too-soon Winehouse the triumphant climax and peaceful ending she deserved in Back to Black, we have to go through some histrionic, jumbled bullshit before we get to it.

As Amy herself would say, what kind of fuckery is this? ▼

Back to Black R, 122 minutes

Opening wide Friday, May 17

ual spectrum) and genderqueer individuals often face — not always understanding their own feelings, and trying to still move through life with part of themselves locked away.

After Jane Schoenbrun’s success with 2022’s micro-budget We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, they’ve got a much heftier budget to work with this time around, and it definitely shows. There is a very distinct visual style here — hazy purple tones and a deep, dark color palette complemented by the radiant pink glow of cathode-ray tube screens. Schoenbrun took their own experience with TV that they adored — including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files — and how much that had an impact on their journey to “cracking the egg.” (That’s trans community slang for when someone realizes they are trans.) Schoenbrun set out to craft a visual depiction of the trans experience, including the early phases of escapism and the first cracks in the egg. The director has created a unique style of filmmaking as one of few authentic trans voices in the film community.

Whether you are seeking a deeply trans story, great asexual representation or are someone who simply knows what it’s like to delve deeply into escapist hobbies, I Saw the TV Glow delivers, thanks to Schoenbrun’s unique voice. It’s wildly entertaining on the surface, but it’s more and more emotionally devastating the deeper you dive in. ▼

I Saw the TV Glow PG-13, 100 minutes Opening Thursday, May 16, at the Belcourt

Thanks for joining us for our 11th annual Margarita Festival presented by Don Julio Tequila!

ACROSS

1 Slicing and dicing, say

5 Training unit

8 Share of the supply

14 Italian for “year”

15 ___ word

16 Lacking the wherewithal

17 Head-scratchers?

18 Subjects in a series of van Gogh landscape paintings

20 Pricey basketball tickets

22 Ending with fluor- or chlor-

23 Serious ___ (popular cooking blog)

24 Some baby shower gifts

26 Self images?

28 Modern scanning target

30 Something to take when you’re in the dark

34 Abandoned

38 Rare

40 Not in one’s head, say

41 Alternative to a handshake

43 Vintner’s concern

44 With 46-Across, some areas in Clue … or a hint to the first, fourth, twelfth and fifteenth rows of this puzzle

46 See 44-Across

48 Take a hit

49 Good hosts make them

51 “This is Me ... Now” singer, familiarly

52 Head-scratchers

57 “Jaws” menace

60 Commonly mined material that’s relatively rare in Earth’s crust (about 2 p.p.m.)

62 Lender you shouldn’t trust

63 Whales and alligators might be seen on them

66 Celebration in the worship of Bacchus

67 Like stubble

68 Comedian ___ Martin

69 Spill

70 Valuable property

71 Choice for a round

72 Institution with galleries in Liverpool and Cornwall DOWN

1 “Nurse Jackie” star

2 Something that can be red or white, but not blue

3 When theatrical special effects happen, one hopes

4 Workhorses

5 Casino that houses the Penn & Teller Theater

6 Draft status

7 Settled up

8 French translation of the Spanish “calle”

9 Alternatives to blinds

10 ___ VanDerveer, coach who holds the record for the most wins in college basketball history (1,200+)

11 “Pfft”

12 Chorus for los toreadores

13 Platform for playing Kirby’s Adventure

19 Place to take shots

21 Diatribe

25 “There’s something in the pantry!”

27 Prosecution figs.

29 Not right (for)

30 N.K. Jemisin’s “Broken Earth” trilogy, for one

31 What has degrees in math?

32 Common Photoshop target

33 Appeals to

34 Like lightning

35 Product made from vegetable oil

36 Be awesome, informally

37 100%, so to speak

39 Crème de ___ (liqueur)

42 Kind of leave or guidance

45 ’Fore

47 Author Joe Hill, vis-à-vis Stephen King

50 Terse denial

51 Walter’s meth-dealing partner on “Breaking Bad”

53 Suddenly go silent, in modern dating lingo

54 “The Jeffersons” actress Gibbs

55 Insider language

56 Verb akin to “Zoom”

57 “The Hound of the Baskervilles” location

58 Jai ___

59 Average

61 Name found in “affirmation”

63 Doctor sought for a checkup, in brief

64 ___ Honor

65 “Capeesh?”

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/studentcrosswords.

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